The books are geared toward children ages 2 to 10. Franz said when she attends daily Mass at Holy Family, she sees children reading her books, and the book about Lucia is her 3-year-old cousin’s bedtime story of choice.

Exactly one 100 years ago, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd children outside of Fatima, Portugal, sharing with them some extraordinary messages and prophecies. But Our Lady of Fatima’s most urgent plea was for repentance — on behalf of ourselves, sinners and entire nations — as well as for people to pray the rosary. In the end, she promised, her Immaculate Heart would triumph.

At the Cathedral of St. Paul, marble floors are being polished, nearly 40 chasubles are being dry-cleaned and pressed, and a team of volunteers have been — for weeks — dusting the intricate sacristy woodwork with toothbrushes.

When Father Gregory Abbott, pastor of St. Bernard, Cologne, and Church of the Ascension, Norwood-Young America, found out that the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima would be touring the archdiocese, he was one of the first priests to offer to host it.